The Red Dress
by diabolikal rapture
Summary: Greg's parents are visiting, only problem is that they're expecting to meet his long time girlfriend that he doesn't have...will he be able to pull it off?
1. The Question

**Title:** The Red Dress

**Author:** Diabolikal Rapture / Britt

**Summary:** Greg's parents are visiting, only problem is that they're expecting to meet his long time girlfriend that he doesn't have...will he be able to pull it off? Possibly Greg/Sara...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own CSI or any characters etc associated with CSI. Lyrics used are owned by Nine Inch Nails and Motion City Soundtrack repsectively.

**A/N:** Thanks to the great response to my first fic, I decided to give it a shot again, but with something different. Gotta give props to my roomie Brooklyn for inspiring this fic with his attempts to convince his parents of a steady relationship. Brooklyn's a lot like Greggo, so I couldn't help but adapt it to CSI...Hope you guys like it. Let me know what you think!

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**The Red Dress**

_1. The Question_

* * *

Greg set his phone down in front of him and breathed out a long sigh. He shook his head, he couldn't believe what he'd gotten himself into. His parents were coming. No problem there. Only problem is that they're set on meeting his girlfriend, the girlfriend he invented to get his mother of his back...or at least, sort of invented. He pushed play on the stereo beside him and closed his eyes, letting the music rush through his mind. 

_This is the first day of my last days _

_I built it up now i take it apart _

_Climbed up real high now fall down real far _

Nick stood a moment behind his colleague before tapping him on the shoulder. Greg jumped, startled. He didn't hear him come in. He turned down the music, it wasn't exactly helping him forget the situation he'd gotten himself in to.

"Before you ask, the results aren't back yet." Greg let out with a sigh before Nick could even ask.

Nick frowned, something was up with Greg.

"You ok?" He asked.

Greg ran a few possible replies through his mind. Should he tell Nick the truth and put up with him, or lie? He sighed, he wasn't bothered to lie about his problem.

"My parents are coming, this weekend for dinner... They're coming to meet my girlfriend that I don't have."

"I'm sure you could find someone to fill in by then." Nick offered optimistically.

"I'd do that if it was that easy... I kinda gave them a name..." Greg trailed off, starting to regret what he was sharing with Nick. He wouldn't hear the end of it.

Nick raised his eyebrow, "who?"

Greg looked down at his feet before spinning around on his chair, turning his back to Nick.

"Sara..." He almost whispered.

Laughter broke out immediately from behind him. It was inevitable. He shook his head, he was screwed. And now his mother would have another reason to get on his back. He could've told her the truth, or that they'd just broken up. Why didn't he think of that before? It was too late now.

"Good luck with that Greg, you're gonna need it." He continued to chuckle as he left the office, "let me know when the results are in." Nick said vanishing from Greg's sight.

Greg turned the volume back up to catch the end of the song. What was he going to do?

_Wish there was something real wish there was something true _

_Wish there was something real in this world full of you_

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Greg pulled his jacket from the locker and pulled it on slowly. He was still wondering what he should do...Should he take a chance at ask Sara to at least pretend for him, and prevent him from upsetting his parents? Or should he just bite the bullet and tell them the truth? He stared into his locker as it dawned upon him...he never said exactly what Sara looked like, and he'd never sent them a photo. All he had to do was find a woman to pose as his girlfriend _and _have Sara's name. With two days until the dinner, he wondered if he'd be able to find such a woman.

Catherine entered the room to find Greg on his own. She wondered if he'd heard about the bet Nick and Warrick had going on, something to do with Sara. She didn't quite know the details, but she did know about Greg's attraction to Sara and how he'd wanted to ask her out.

"I hear you're gonna ask Sara on a date.." She trailed off.

Greg turned to face her, and his cheeks flushed red. Catherine smirked, so it was true. She shook her head, he was only going to get hurt. He felt his cheeks heat up.

"So everyone knows?" He asked, he couldn't have expected Nick to keep quiet.

"Well, Nick and Warrick, and me, so I guess not _everyone_ knows." She replied, trying to comfort him. It obviously embarrassed him.

"Okay... I think I might have a way to get around it, if I can find someone in time." He replied, hoping that Cath would be able to give him some kind of advise, anything to make him feel a little more confident about his situation.

"What?" Catherine was confused, what the hell did he mean?

"What what?" Greg returned, he didn't understand her confusion. And then he realised, she didn't really know at all. She didn't know everything. He sighed, already sick of repeating his situation inside his head without having to say it out loud to his friends. "I told my parents that I have a girlfriend, whose name is Sara, and now they're coming to meet her...this weekend."

"Oh Greg..." She put her hand on his shoulder, she couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "You might be able to pull it off, it couldn't hurt to ask."

If it was that easy for him to ask Sara on a date, he would've done it before now. But desperate times did call for desperate measures. He could at least hide his feelings for her and hope that she wanted to help him out in this situation. She was the closest woman to his age at work, he could use that as an excuse. He suddenly felt a little better.

"You think she wouldn't mind pretending, just for one date?"

"Sure...Maybe, if you don't mention the word date. I've gotta get going, I need to pick up Lindsey, but good luck with it, ok Greg? And don't worry about their bet." She left the room.

"Why do they keep saying that?" He asked himself out loud. "And what bet?"

He shrugged it off, he couldn't put it past his colleagues to place a bet on him. They betted on everything else. He looked at his watch, knowing Sara she'd still be around. He could catch her now before she left, ask her while everyone else wasn't around. He drew in a long deep breath. Was he ready for this? He knew he'd never be. He needed to get this over with. And what was the worst that could happen? It wasn't as if she'd turn around and stab him for even suggesting a date. He noted that he should ask her in a room free of objects of the stabbing kind. Before he could gather his trail of thought Sara entered the locker room and caught him off guard.

"Hey." She grinned as she reached into her locker.

"Hey..." He replied. Was this it? She seemed like she was in a good mood. How should he do this? A lame pick up line? Or just a straight out question. He noticed that he'd begun to sweat. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this nervous. Sara turned to leave. He was about to lose his chance.

"Hey Sara..." Greg almost stammered as she turned back.

"Yeah?"

"I was just wondering if you're doing anything this Saturday night, maybe we could go out..." He said quietly, his tone almost hopeful.

"Greg, I..." She trailed off, searching for the right words to say.

"You know..don't worry about it." He said quickly as he pushed past her and left the room. He couldn't handle hearing her excuse for rejection. He could almost feel his heart in his mouth, and it was beating so fast. At least he tried. At least she didn't laugh in his face...


	2. The Ruined Puzzle

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**The Red Dress**

_2. The Ruined Puzzle_

* * *

Greg faultered. He didn't want to be there. He thought he'd never feel that way, but today, he did. He thought about calling in sick, but he couldn't bring himself to make the call. Instead, he stood in the parking lot. Static. Wondering whether or not he should just turn and go back home. But he couldn't. Greg promised himself that he wouldn't let this get to him. Although he didn't even have a chance to say that she only had to pretend...He knew her true opinion of him now, and he was afraid. He didn't think he could face her, not now. And he now knew why he'd never asked her before...because of this. Whatever he was feeling. He took a deep breath and muttered to himself before stepping across the threshold and heading in to work.

Greg had been lucky so far. Sara and Nick were out working a case together and Catherine and Warrick were quickly sent out too, and so he was able to begin his shift without feeling extremely humiliated. He found himself without any work. He'd already ran the tests that needed to be done, now he had to wait for the results. Until then, he had nothing to do.

_The hours they creep,  
the patterns repeat.  
Don't be concerned, you know I'll be fine on my own._

He was almost falling asleep when he heard Warrick and Catherine enter the room. He looked down at his watch, he'd been in that same position for hours. He frowned. He managed to keep thoughts of the weekend, and thoughts of the '_S'_ word from his mind up until now. He looked up at Catherine as Warrick disappeared, and sighed a sigh of relief. He really didn't need Warrick to rub salt in his wounds.

"Hey Greg," Catherine greeted him cheerfully.

"Hey Catherine," he replied, almost convincingly.

"What happened?" She asked, knowing that tone and that facial expression. She'd seen it all before.

He shook his head, and felt his heart sink once again.

She sighed as she placed an arm around his shoulder, "I'm sorry Greg." She thought Sara would at least try to help him out, just for one night. It wasn't as if he was asking her to marry him.

"Am I interrupting something?" Warrick asked as he entered, grinning to himself.

Greg looked up at him, and his grin quickly faded.

"What's up?" He asked, concerned about Greg. He didn't look like his normal self.

"Nothing..." Greg dismissed before standing from the seat

"I left some samples from our crime scene on your desk." Warrick called out after Greg as he left the break room, "what's wrong with him?"

"Sara."

"Oh...Harsh." Warrick shood his head as he took a seat beside her.

Greg found the samples waiting for him on his desk. He felt like hurling them at the wall, but he stopped himself. Instead he turned on the stereo and let the music work out the anger, the hurt that he was feeling. He got to work, and before long had all tests up and running. Once again, all he could do was wait. He thought about returning to the break room, but he decided against it. He didn't want to have to talk about it anymore. He was having enough trouble just thinking about it. There was no way he'd be able to find someone else, not now. His plans were ruined, and he knew that he'd have to 'fess up to his parents.

Greg continued to replay what had happened through his mind. Why would she say no? And why wouldn't she say yes? He remembered back to the scenarios he used to run through his mind, of how he'd sweep her away with his charm, his wit, but things never work out the way you plan them to. He continued to think things over. He hated feeling this way.

_I've hidden a note,  
it's pressed between pages that you've marked to find your way back.  
It says, "Does he ever get the girl?"  
But what if the pages stay pressed,  
the chapters unfinished,  
the storied too dull to unfold?  
Does he ever get the girl?_

-----------------------

Sara collapsed into a chair in the break room. She couldn't believe how quickly she and Nick were able to solve their case. For once it was straight forward, no twists or hidden facts that they couldn't uncover. She hated cases like those. They never felt right, and it bothered her. But deep down she knew that it wasn't the case that was truly bothering her. It was Greg. Or not so much Greg, but herself. She hated how things had gone. Why were things always so complicated? She felt horrible. Restless, she couldn't sit any longer. Sara stood and went into the corridors. She couldn't help but head out to find Greg. She needed to tell him why, to try and set things straight. She just hoped that he'd hear her out. She stopped as she caught sight of Greg slowly swinging in his chair. She saw him reach for his stereo and took the opportunity to speak to him.

Greg took out the current cd and reached for something to replace it. For some reason, every single song he listened to was depressing, regardless of the subject matter.

"Greg.." Sara trailed off. She saw him jump slightly out of his chair and knew that she'd frightened him, "sorry..."

He turned, hoping that he'd only just imagined that she was there behind him. But no such luck. There she was, looking at him, waiting for him to speak. He couldn't. He didn't know what to say, and he wasn't sure if he really had anything to say anyway. He looked away, making sure that he didn't make eye contact. If they did, he knew that he'd turn bright red, if he hadn't already.

"I just...I need," Sara began, her voice almost shaky.

"I don't need to hear it, ok?" He interrupted, almost surprised by the tone of his voice. It almost reflected exactly how he was feeling.

_I'm buried alive.  
I'll die in here just to be safe._

_...I get nothing  
and you're off with barely a sigh._

He turned his back, and knew that she was gone. She wanted to give him an explanation, but not while he was like this. Greg couldn't believe her. He shook his head. For someone so stubborn it didn't take much her leave. She must've really wanted to talk to him. He felt himself calm down, and he began to wonder. What was she going to say? He doubted that anything she could've said would make him feel any better. Nothing except for a change of mind, and what were the odds of that happening? He sighed as he took a seat, content with sitting in the silence, alone with his thoughts, however depressing they may be.

_I never said "don't go."_

-----------------------  
Catherine took a bite from her apple as she noticed Sara storming towards the break room. She frowned, this couldn't be good. She watched as Sara entered the room and sunk into the seat across the room. Sara looked as though she was ready to hit someone. She took another bite from the apple, and wondered. Was this about Greg? She couldn't help but get involved.

"What's wrong?" She asked, although she was sure that she knew the reason behind her colleague's discomfort.

Sara shook her head, "nothing," she replied angrily. Why were men that way? She just wanted to speak to him, but no. If he really had wanted her to go out with him, why didn't he ask again? Push her to say yes? She began to ponder what her answer would be if he had asked her a second time...

"C'mon Sara, something's bothering you," Catherine said, pushing Sara to talk to her.

Sara couldn't help but wonder why Catherine was so interested in her problems. Unless Catherine already knew what her problem was..."What did Greg tell you?"

"Greg?" Catherine asked, trying to sound surprised. Off Sara's unimpressed look, she knew she'd better provide her with an explanation, otherwise she might be on the receiving end of her anger. "He just mentioned how his parents were coming this weekend and how he was going to introduce them to his girlfriend. That's all."

"His parents? Expecting to meet his girlfriend?" Sara was confused, what the hell was Cath talking about. Greg never mentioned anything about his parents.

"He told his parents that his girlfriend, _Sara_, would meet them this weekend, but I guess that isn't going to happen..." Catherine trailed off, trying to stir up a response from Sara. Surely she'd have enough compassion to go out with the guy for one night just to satisfy his parents.

Sara didn't reply. Catherine's words were running through her mind. She felt worse than she had before. He only wanted her to go out with him for the sake of meeting his parents. Why didn't he just mention that before? She thought back, and realised that she never really gave him the chance to. She was hating herself, and she couldn't shake it. She went into the corridor and again set out in search of Greg, but he was nowhere to be found. She checked every room where he was likely to be found, but nothing. She wondered if he'd left early. She wouldn't blame him if he did, but she really didn't need to be the reason why he was avoiding work. She checked the locker room before giving up her search. She couldn't find him. At least she'd tried. She sighed as she left the room and headed to her car.

Sara crossed the parking lot to her car, and noticed that Greg's was still parked in its usual parking space. He was still there. She wondered where he was hiding. Seeing as she couldn't find him, she decided to leave him a note on his windscreen before returning home.

_Does he ever get the girl?_

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Thanks for the reviews! It's rad to hear that you guys actually like what I'm writing. I hope you liked this chapter, I couldn't go and leave Greg without Sara, wouldn't be right. Sorry it went for so long, and kinda ended with a cliffy. Once you pop you can't stop. Lemme know what y'all think. And just a short disclaimer.."This Ruined Puzzle" is owned by Dashboard Confessional, not me... / **Britt**


	3. The Red Dress Part One

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**The Red Dress**

_3. The Red Dress - Part One_

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Greg glanced over at the red dress that lay carefully across the passenger seat. It was perfect for her. He could picture her in the dress he'd specifically bought for her. He just hoped that she agreed to wear it. With such short notice he had to find something that'd fit her, and suit her, and this was it. He picked up the coat hanger as he got out of the car, and slung the dress over his shoulder. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to do. Should he hand her the dress and politely ask her to wear it? Or leave it on her door step? He didn't know which would be the better option, but as soon as he found himself standing upon her doorstep, he knew which option he liked best. He gently hooked the coat hanger around the door handle and positioned the dress in a way that would reduce it from wrinkling. 

With a burst of nervousness and anxiety he knocked on the door and ran. Greg turned the corner and paused, catching his breath. He wished he could see her reaction to the dress, whether she smiled, or screwed up her face in disgust. He cursed himself for not staying, waiting for her to open the door...But since she'd said she would act as his girlfriend, he hadn't been able to stay calm, or form a coherent thought when she was nearby, let alone a coherent sentence. He shook his head as he returned to his car. Even when she wasn't nearby his thoughts raced. He really did hope that she'd liked the dress. If she didn't, he really didn't know what he'd do. He sighed as he reached his car...the date was tomorrow. His thoughts wondered back to the red dress, and how beautiful she'd look wearing it.

_But I'm just thinking about the red dress  
I like the red dress_

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Greg rolled onto his side and looked through drowsy eyes at his alarm clock...6am. Why was he awake so early? He sat up and scratched his head as he remembered...the date was tonight. His parents would be in Vegas later, and he would be on a date with a beautiful woman, his 'girlfriend'. He began to wonder how he'd actually been able to pull it off, to find a woman to pretend to be his girlfriend, and meet his parents all in one night. He'd be lucky to find anyone who'd want to meet his parents after months of dating. He got out of bed and headed to the kitchen for a coffee. It was going to be a long day, and he needed to keep his mind busy until then. His mind wandered back to the red dress...

-----------------------

Greg sat on the couch again. He'd been walking around the apartment for almost an hour, waiting for the time to come when he had to pick up his date. He couldn't stay still, and so kept moving from chair to chair, from room to room, hoping to ease his nerves. But nothing was helping him. He'd never been this nervous before in his life. He'd been on dates before, but none like this. And none of his previous girlfriends had ever met his parents, except for one or two from his high school days...He stood again and stared down at the clock. Only 15 minutes until he needed to leave. This was killing him! The only thing keeping him sane was the thought of what was to come, when she'd open the door and reveal herself in the red dress, _that _red dress that he'd chosen specifically for her.

He continued to make laps around his apartment. Everything was in place...his parents were in town and ready to see him, and meet his girlfriend, he had a girlfriend ready to meet them in a gorgeous red dress, restaurant reservations were ready...All that he needed was for everything to go smoothly. He returned to his room and looked at his reflection. He hadn't worn a suit in a while, except for court, but other than that, he couldn't remember the last time he'd been so formal. He tried to comb his hair down to the side, but it wouldn't stay. He knew how much his mother liked him to have his hair combed down, but his hair wouldn't do it. He sighed and looked down at his watch. He grinned and felt like screaming, but instead, he kept himself cool and casually walked to the front door, as though someone were watching his every move. He closed the door behind him and began his trip to his 'girlfriend's' house. This was it...

-----------------------

Greg stood outside the apartment, staring at the wooden door before him. He held his breath as he knocked on the door and waited. He heard the sound of heels clicking against the floor, as the door handle slowly turned and the door swung open. Greg stared wide-eyed at the woman before him, dressed in the red dress. He continued to stare, and realised that his mouth was open and she was returning his gaze...He caught himself, quickly closing his mouth and forced himself to speak.

"Sara...Wow." He smiled sheepishly.

"Wow yourself, " she replied as she looked him up and down, "again, I really didn't think your hair could do that..." She trailed off as she leant forward and tried to smooth down a small patch of hair that had a mind of its own.

He knew that he was staring again, but he didn't care. She looked amazing. The dress, her hair. Wow. Sara noticed his reaction and began to feel embarrassed. She knew that her cheeks were taking on a rosy appearance at that moment, and decided to try and move Greg's attention away from her, however flattering his attention may be...

"Thanks Sara...for doing this for me..." He blurted out and looked down at his feet. His nerves had a stronghold over him now, and he couldn't shake them.

"Hey, that's ok. You don't need to thank me." She replied. She still felt horrible about rejecting him the first time he'd asked. She wished things had gone different then, she knew what it felt like to be rejected, and to be rejected without even an explanation. She inwardly sighed and scowled at herself, thinking about Grissom. She smiled at Greg, she'd really never seen him like this.

"Thank you." He said again, feeling the need to thank her again and again. He was more grateful than she probably even knew, and would ever know. Without knowing what else to do, he grinned like the cheshire cat. He wondered what she was thinking. If she liked the way he was dressed. If she was even slightly attracted to him...Sara realised that the two of them had fallen into an awkward silence...

"So, what's our story?" She asked, breaking the silence.

"Story?"

"Y'know, how, when, where we first met, first date..." She trailed off, amused that he hadn't even thought of these things.

Greg almost shuddered. How could he completely forget to plan something? And what if his parents asked each of them questions? They didn't really know much about each other's pasts. If Greg suffered from panic attacks, he was sure that he'd be having one at that moment.

Sara shrugged it off, they could easily come up with something. It wouldn't be hard, just some twisting of facts and their dating history would easily come together."Well, we met at work..." She began, trying to coax Greg into developing their history.

He nodded, "I asked you out, you were dazzled by my charm and accepted..." He flashed his grin as he thought about their first date. He sifted through the numerous ideas he'd had in the past, of how he'd ask her out, how'd she'd accept and he'd sweep her off her feet. "I took you a flashy restaurant on the strip, and you've been head over heels with me ever since." He flashed his grin once again.

Sara raised an eyebrow, but couldn't help but smile. She was doing this for him, so she might as well go along with whatever story he produced, as long as it wasn't too extreme. She could easily imagine herself on a date with Greg, being impressed by his romantic gestures, flashes of gallantry, his humor and charm...

Greg found himself drawn back to Sara's dress, the hint of make up, and the way she'd done her hair. Her hair was curled, a lot more than usual, and it fell in ringlets around her face. Sara noticed his attention once again and nervously tucked a curl of hair behind her ear. She really wasn't used to this much attention from a man, any man, especially one that she worked with.

_I like your hair much better that way  
When it hangs out front when it hangs out front  
With tilted head like a listener  
But i'm just thinking about the red dress  
I like the red dress_

Greg cleared his throat and looked down at his watch. They needed to be at the restaurant in 10 minutes. Sara noticed the time and locked her door behind her. He still couldn't believe this was happening. He wondered what to do, whether to just casually walk her to the car, orescort her on his arm. Heshrugged to himself, andfigured it wouldn'thurt to get into the swing of things.

He offered his arm to Sara, "shall we Miss Sidle?"

"We shall," she smiled back as she took his arm.

Greg escorted her to the car like a true gentlemen, exactly the way he would have if this was a _real_ date.He grinned, knowing that she was willingly accompanying him on a date...even despite the circumstances, he couldn't help but feel something.

* * *

Sorry for taking a little while to update, wasn't really in the mood and wrote something else featuring little Greggo that I might post later. Anyhoo,this was gonna be a three parter, but it's now a four parter coz of the length it's getting to, plus I'mstruggling with writer's block right now. Thank y'all for reading and reviewing so far, I hoped you like this part! I'll try update thefinal part in the next few days./ **Britt**


	4. The Red Dress Part Two

**

* * *

**

**The Red Dress**

_4. The Red Dress - Part Two_

* * *

Greg and Sara slowly entered the restaurant, both almost as nervous as each other. He took in a deep breath as he quickly slipped his arm around her waist...She almost jumped, and he waited for her to slap him. She looked over at him and felt a blush creeping over her cheeks. She looked away and scolded at herself. They were supposed to be together, comfortably dating, not startled by a little contact. She looked back at Greg and smiled, trying to make him feel a little more comfortable. He guided her towards the table they had reserved, and two familiar figures entered his vision. He grinned, mom and dad. His grip around Sara's waist slightly tightened as they stopped. 

"Hey mom, hey dad!" Greg said as he moved away from Sara's side to hug his parents. Before they could get a word in he quickly introduced Sara, hoping that as soon as he got it over with his nerves would disappear, "this is Sara," he said as he turned back to her and gestured for her to come closer.

"It's so lovely to finally meet you!" Greg's mother exclaimed as she pulled Sara into a tight hug, almost too enthusiastically.

Greg's father shook his head at his wife, "It is nice to meet you Sara, I hope you've been keeping him out of trouble." He said before shaking her hand.

"I try my best," she smiled as she replied. She'd pictured Greg's parents differently, she couldn't exactly pinpoint what she had expected, but they were great. She realised that Greg still had his hand around her waist, and began to lead her to her seat. Greg pulled out her chair and waited for her to sit before pushing it in for her.

"Thanks," she said as she adjusted the chair. He'd pushed her in a little too close to the table.

Sara watched as he took a seat beside her and clung onto the side of the seat, his hands trembling. She frowned a little, wondering why he was still so nervous. She then began to wonder why she wasn't as nervous as she was before. If this was going to be convincing they both needed to feel comfortable. She reached beneath the table and took one of his hands in hers and gently squeezed. He glanced at her, and she smiled. He returned the smile as the two of them realised that they had an audience. Both of Greg's parents were watching them, amused. Greg pulled his hand away from Sara's and picked up a menu. His parents shot amused glances at each other before doing the same, and soon they had ordered their entrée and main meals.

"So Greg tells me that the two of you met through work..."

"Yeah, we met almost five years ago, when we were both pretty much started working here in Vegas." Sara replied as she took a sip of her wine. Normally all that Sara ever thought about was work. She lived it, she breathed, almost every minute of every day. But now she felt that work was the last thing she wanted to be talking about with these people, and she really didn't understand why.

"Five years, and it took you this long to get your act together?" Greg's father asked, directing the question straight at his son.

Greg looked over at Sara and back at his parents, "Yep." He looked down at the table. Truth was, he was still trying to get his act together, and it was killing him.

_Coast to coast and in too deep  
Saving our secret for the weekends  
_

-----------------------

Entrée's and main meals had been and gone, and Greg was ready to shoot himself in the head. However bad he'd thought this date could go, he'd never even thought of this. It never even dared upon him, until it was too late...

"The boy always was a slow starter. Took him almost five years just to get out of diapers," his father let out with a laugh. His mother joined him and began to giggle. She obviously had a little too much wine.

"Dad..." Greg trailed off. He knew it was no use. Already Sara had heard stories from his childhood. Most of his embarrassing moments, the moments he'd wish he could throw away and never remember. But here he was, on a date with the woman he loved, re-living the nightmares of his childhood. He watched Sara as she laughed at his parents' stories, and couldn't help but smile. He'd never seen her laugh so much, not even around Nicky or Grissom, and here she was, happy, because of him. But he decided to put an end to their trip down memory lane. As funny as it was for them, it was doing serious damage to his ego, and he knew that more than likely Sara would take the first chance to spread these stories to their co-workers the next time he pissed her off.

"That's enough of the embarrassing stories, ok?" He demanded, trying not to sound as though the stories were affecting him too much. He was only grateful that they weren't at home, otherwise his mother would've brought out photo album after photo album with embarrassing photos, from pictures of him in the bath to the time he'd decided to wear his mother's bra. He shuddered with the thought of it...

Sara placed her hand on his knee as she tried to wipe the smile from her face. She had so much material to use against him now...but she wasn't sure if she'd actually use it, "sorry..." She realised how unfair it was for him. She got to hear all of these stories from his childhood, and he still had no idea about anything from her past. The three of them continued to talk as she sifted through her thoughts. His family were so nice, warm, caring...they were so different from her own. She actually liked being there, fake date or not, she liked meeting Greg's parents, hearing their stories, being involved in conversations that didn't have anything to do with blood drops or fibre analysis.

"I'm just going to go to the bathroom..." She said as she quickly stood and left the table.

"Is she okay?" Greg's father asked, wondering why she'd suddenly leave.

"Ummm, I.." He trailed as he stood to follow her. He had no idea what was wrong, or if there was anything wrong at all. He frowned.

"No, you sit down..." His mother ordered as she stood and headed towards the bathroom.

Sara hated herself. She didn't want to break down, not here, and not now. Not in front of his family, and not in front of him. She didn't want to ruin this, not for Greg. She looked at her reflection and continued to fight back tears. Why was she letting this get to her? And why now? She heard the bathroom door swing open and quickly took out her lipstick from her bag. She began to re-apply as Greg's mother stopped behind her.

"Sara are you okay?" She asked as she placed a hand on her shoulder.

Sara turned around to face her. She sighed as she won her battle against the tears, and kept them away..at least for now.

"It's just a little overwhelming, meeting Greg's parents..." She hated herself more for lying, especially to this woman, so kind and caring. She didn't have to come in here after her, she didn't have to care, but she did. She really wasn't making it any easier for her.

"You don't need to worry..we don't bite." She squeezed Sara's shoulder reassuringly before continuing, "and to tell you the truth, we're all a little nervous here. We've never met one of Greg's girlfriends before...you're the first."

Sara's eyes widened slightly as she frowned. Why had he never brought anyone home? Her trail of thought let her back to the question that was tormenting her the most...Why did he pick her? Was her name the first that popped into his head? Why not Catherine? Or just someone random? Why her?

"He's never spoken about anyone like he does about you. It really is nice to put your name to your face and finally meet you. I really hope that things work out between you two."

Sara felt like someone had punched her in the stomach. She felt the air escape from her lungs and a realization entered her mind...

_But now I know and now I know and I am grateful_

-----------------------

"She's not what I expected."

"She's not?" Greg asked, almost confused. What exactly was his father expecting?

"I just...pictured her differently. She's pretty."

"Just pretty?" Greg scoffed. Sara wasn't _just_ pretty...She was gorgeous.

"I didn't mean it like that..." His father retorted. He knew what he meant. His son's previous reaction proved to him what he had been thinking all night, and for weeks prior to that night...He really did like this girl, he may even _love _her. He wasn't very good at advice, especially when it came to this, but he felt he needed to speak to his son.

"If this girl that you've spoken about for months, don't ever let her go. If she's this special to you, don't break her heart..."

Greg frowned as his father spoke. He couldn't believe what he was saying, as if he'd intentionally hurt Sara, break her heart...But that didn't matter, because she wasn't his to lose, and her heart wasn't his to break. He became distracted as he noticed Sara and his mom returning to the table...

"Are you...?" He began, but she cut him off.

"I'm fine... Do you wanna dance?" Sara asked, nervously glancing from Greg's eyes to the floor. She felt like she was asking the most gorgeous guy at prom to dance, expecting to get rejected or blown off in some way.

Greg felt his mouth go dry. He looked up at her, confusion etched into his face. Sara? Asking him to dance? Was he awake? Did he hear her right? Or was he back in one of his fantasies? He blinked, making sure this wasn't a dream. Sara was still there, standing in front of him in that red dress, asking him to dance with her. Whatever was happening, he wasn't going to give up this chance.

He stood as she took his arm in hers, and they both made their way to the dance floor which was just meters from their table. Greg frowned. He'd never even noticed the dance floor before now...The thought of dancing with Sara Sidle had never even entered his might, until now.

Greg's parents watched as the two of them moved towards the center of the dance floor in between the other couples scattered across the small space. They watched from a distance as Greg took Sara's hand in his, and pulled her close to him. They began to slowly rock with the music. Greg's parents looked away, diverting their attention back to the table, both feeling as though they were invading on the young couple's privacy.

"I really think our son's in love..." His mother trailed off as she couldn't help but turn back to watch her son dancing with his girlfriend.

_With drink I see things better  
I'll see you around  
We'll bring the house down  
We'll bring the house down_

Greg nervously held Sara as they danced back and forth. He wasn't much of a dancer, at least not this type of dancing. Put him in a mosh pit and he could rock out, but here, on a proper dance floor, in these shoes, it was a recipe for disaster. He noticed that Sara wasn't really at ease either, and began to wonder why she'd even asked him to dance. Maybe she just wasn't up for more time with his parents. He lost concentration, and accidentally stepped on Sara's foot.

"Greg!" She gasped as his foot came down heavily on her big toe. She gently hit him as he looked at her sheepishly, "sorry."

Sara couldn't help but laugh. It was her fault, after all, asking him to dance. They continued to dance. She watched him, almost studied him as he continuously glanced down at his feet, making sure he didn't make the same mistake twice. She smiled, he was so sweet. She wanted to tell him that she knew, about his feelings for her...but she couldn't bring herself to tell him. She stayed quiet, and moved closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder as they continued to rock back and forth in a mutual silence.

Greg noticed the silence they'd fallen into, and didn't mind it. He liked just being there with Sara. He glanced over at his parents and found them watching him. He hated having an audience, especially one that you were trying to fool. He began to wonder if they had bought it...his father had, but his mother? Maybe in the bathroom she'd said something, frightened Sara in some way. He wanted to ask her, but couldn't. He didn't want to 'ruin' the moment they were having. He sighed.

Sara lifted her head, noticing Greg's sigh. She looked at him, questioning him about the sigh. He smiled, and she smiled back. She wanted to tell him now, she felt as though she needed to...but again,she couldn't do it.

"Thanks for asking me here Greg...It wasn't so bad being your girlfriend." She smiled.

"You got the sweet end of the deal here..." He replied, grinning. He wondered what she was thinking, whether she thought his parents really believed they were a couple, and what his mother had said..."You think they bought it?" He asked her as he indicated towards his parents.

Sara quickly glanced at his parents before focusing back on him. "I think so..." She trailed off as a mischievous grin formed on her face. "But just in case..."

She leaned in and softly kissed Greg. He returned the kiss, and watched as she pulled back slowly. "Woah..." he whispered as he quickly recovered...Sara Sidle had just kissed him. She'd kissed him, willingly. He watched her, wondering why she'd just kissed him. She didn't even seem affected by it at all, like it was just an ordinary, every day thing.

The music began to slow, and eventually came to a stop. Their dance had ended. Greg was still trying to wrap his head around what had just happened, but decided, why not try his luck again? Arms linked, they slowly began to make their way back to the table.

"You know what? I don't think they're believing it...how bout another one, just to be safe?" He asked as he raised his eyebrows.

She chuckled and shook her head as they got closer to the table.

"I'll take that as a maybe..." He trailed off as they reached the table.

She started to regret kissing him. Was she sending him the wrong signals? Was he going to think of it more than just a kiss, with nothing behind it? She sat back down in her chair, wondering whether or not she'd just helped Greg or would end up burning him. She inwardly sighed. At least her mission was accomplished. As the four of them left the restaurant they said their goodbyes, and she was sure that Greg's parents bought the idea of them as a couple. Even she'd almost forgotten they weren't actually together during their dance...

-----------------------

Greg pulled up outside Sara's apartment. He wasn't sure whether to say goodbye here or walk her to her door. He struggled for a moment before deciding on the latter. He figured he might as well be a gentlemen right up until the end of the date. He got out of the car and quickly opened the passenger side door for Sara.

"You don't have to..." She said as she got out of the car.

"I want to." He replied as she stumbled on the curb. he put his arm out to help steady her.

He walked her to her door and waited as she searched her bag for her keys. He leant against he wall and watched, wondering if he should thank her again, if he should say what he was really thinking, or just say goodbye and leave, and keep his thoughts to himself like he had for so many years. Sara searched her bag and became more conscious of his attention as she continued to search. She finally found her keys and quickly found the right key. She turned the key and slowly opened the door to enter her apartment.

Greg moved forward and grabbed her arm, turning her back to him, "Hey...thanks, for everything." He said nervously as he found Sara's face dangerously close to his own. Greg held his breath. Was this it? He began to slowly lean forward, watching her face, searching her eyes for a sign. And there it was...She moved back slightly, placing more space between them.

"Don't worry about it...you would've been there for me too." She replied with a weak smile. She gently squeezed his arm before turning back to her apartment.

Sara closed the door and leant back against it. She threw her bag to the ground and crossed her arms tightly. She stared into the darkness of her apartment before closing her eyes. What almost happened? And why didn't she let it happen, and why didn't he? Why didn't she say something more? She leant harder against the door as she continued to cut herself up. Little did she know that Greg was on the other side of the door. Outside he leant back against her door, hands in his pockets, staring up at the few stars that were visible in the night sky. He should've just left. Why did he have to be so foolish to be believe that she might have been interested him? Even just slightly...but he obviously had his answer. He moved away from the doorway, and with one last glance back at the apartment, he left.

Sara felt the tears stream down her cheeks, making lines down her face as they found their way to her dress. Her tears were staining her dress, the red dress. She sucked in some air. She knew why this was eating at her so badly. She quickly wiped them away as she gathered her courage and heaved the door open, hoping, wishing...But he was gone. _  
_

_Does he ever get the girl?_

* * *

**The End**!

I wanna thank y'all so much for reading and reviewing! It's totally rad, and I really hope that y'all liked this part. I had issues writing it, lmao. I hope it isn't too rushed, I really wanted to finish this. I wasn't entirely sure how to end it, I'm not really a fan of 'happily ever after' but I like to be ambiguous and leave y'all hanging. I really needa stop being quite the bastard, and being so cynical. I might eventually write a sequel with a little more Greg/Sara action and a little less of me holding em back, if y'all would like me to, when I'm on the happy pills and in less of a foul mood, lmao.. / **Britt**


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